Friday, March 1, 2013

Problems of Practice: ESL Students in the University Writing Center


Problems of Practice Inquiry into Tutoring ESL/NNS Students
Leah DeLorenzo and Charlotte Jones
Inquiry Question:

What perceptions do tutors have of non-native speakers and English and how might those perceptions affect teaching and learning in the Writing Center?



According to Thonus (1993) satisfactory scores do not always translate to college-level academic writing. To be admitted to the University of Central Florida as an International Student, students must get 80/120, or approximately 66.7%.. The following is a Level 3 (out of 5) Writing Sample, from the TOEFL iBT website.  


When we were children, we were taught to tell truth. Telling truth and being honest also become
the criteria of judging a person. I do think that most people prefer to live in a world of pure truth
and it is also the best wish of all kind hearted people. However, what we have to face is not the


dream land. Telling truth all the time could only exist in our dreams. In another word, lies could

not be avoided.
I will illustrate my opinion with the following facts. In the business world, always telling
truth equals to commit suicide. For example, when competitor company is asking the content of a tender or the cost of a major product, telling truth is nonsense. Furthermore, we could learn from old collegue that to keep the business secrete is to keep the position.
For those people whose profession is politics, lies is their favorite language. In order to
stablize the mood of anxcious people, some times president has to tell lies to comfort the peolple so that no more serious result will hapen.  Among friends, allways telling truth will also cause lots of avoidable confllicts. For example, when a 49 years old lady ask her froend whether she is beautiful or not. If the answer is No (truth for sure). We could imagine the accompanied results. This is why we are using the term white lie to find the suitable reason to use minor lies.
However, despite all these difficulties, we should always try to be honest and tell truth as
much as we could. In lots of situation, to tell truth can strengthen the relationship and deepen the
communication and understanding among people. Especially among family memers, telling truth
is quite necessary for every one. A family full of lie will bankrupt immediately. In a word, in
different situation, we should tell different words.


What does the research show?
Lyons, G. (1992). Validating cultural difference in the writing center. Writing Center
Journal,12(2), 145-158.
  • Learn to understand where the writer is coming from
  • Says to “ask tough, honest questions... about his or her own prejudices, commitments, and ethos.” (p. 157)
Blau, S & Hall, J. (2002). Guilt-Free Tutoring: Rethinking how we tutor
non-native-English-speaking students. Writing Center Journal 23(1), 23-44
  • It is realistic to alter your practices (p. 29)
Thonus, T. (1993). Tutors as Teachers: Assisting ESL/EFL students in the writing center.
Writing Center Journal, 13(2), 13-26
  • Repeat Sessions: Working with students in multiple sessions
  • Ask good questions: “How would you write that in your language?” ( p. 20).


Volunteer Challenge: WE WANT YOU!
The University of Central Florida’s IEP program CMMS conducts a Conversation Hour open to students and volunteers who want to help international students improve their English. We challenge you to volunteer an hour of your time (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursday 1:00-3:00 at the Barbara Ying Building next to the Student Center).


Resources for Tutors
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